March 6, 2008

Giants in the Land

 

1)      Introduction 

a)       Moses lead Israel out of Egypt

b)     God performed many miracles on behalf of the Children of Israel to bring them to KADESH BARNEA

c)      Kadesh means holy or sacred desert of wandering, it was a city in the wilderness of Paran on the southern border of Cannan

d)     12 spies were sent out on a recon mission of the promise land

e)      Joshua = God is salvation Hebrew = Joshua Greek = Jesus

f)       Caleb = dog bold loyal faithful and humble

g)      Numbers was written as each event happened over a period of 39 years

h)     Deuteronomy was written to the next generation of Israelites

 

2)      The Promise of God

a)      Exodus 3:8 So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land to a land flowing with milk and honey

b)     What has God promised you?

 

3)      The problem

a)      Deut 1:32 But for all this you DID NOT TRUST the Lord your God who goes before you on your way to seek out a place for you to encamp in fire by night and cloud by day to show you the way in which you should go

b)     You will not move in to the promises of God until we learn to TRUST HIM

 

4)      Man’s plan send out spies

a)      Deut 1:22 Then all of you approached me and said, “Let us send men before us”

b)     God will let you walk in your own counsel or own ways

c)      2nd Corinthians 5:17 We walk by faith and not by sight?

 

5)      The report of the 10

i)        13:32 So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out

ii)      There is a sense of exaggeration in their report that ignited fear in the people

iii)    Their eyes were fixed on the enemy and not God

iv)    Their eyes were fixed on themselves “we are like grasshoppers”

v)      There will always be impossible circumstances

vi)    We can’t do it = God can’t do it

vii)  The will of God will never lead us where the grace of God can’t provide for us or the power of God protect us

 

6)      The report of Caleb

i)        13:30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said “We should by all means go up and take possession of it for we shall surely overcome it

ii)      14:24 But My servant Caleb because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully I will bring into the land which he entered

iii)    Have a different spirit than the crowd

 

7)      The reaction

a)      14:3 Why is the Lord bringing us in to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be come plunder would it not be better for us to return to Egypt

b)     We will always be tempted to return to familiar circumstances even if it is slavery

c)      Once you are saved you can’t go back

d)     Instead of listening to God, or even seeking him, they immediately decide to impeach Moses and Aaron and then stone Caleb and Joshua

e)      When Israel rebelled against His leadership the glory of God appeared 

 

8)      The principal

a)      Faith leads to obedience and doubt leads to rebellion

b)     Numbers 14:18 The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished”

c)      Our punishment was given to Jesus

d)     God is love but people are responsible for their choices

e)      Pass the test the first time

i)        God sent them back to the sand for 40 years

 

9)      The Threshold Of Opportunity

a)      Deut 1:19 Then we sent out from Horeb and we came to Kadesh Barnea

b)     As a church we are on the threshold of opportunity

c)      As individuals we are on the threshold of opportunity when we decide to follow Christ or not